城市

• 拼音: chéng shì
• 汉字拆解: 城 = 土 (earth) + 成 (phonetic), meaning walled city; 市 = originally depicted a market, now meaning city or market

含义

City; urban area. A large and densely populated area with developed infrastructure.

The standard formal word for 'city' in modern Chinese. Used in contexts discussing urbanisation, geography, and daily life. Common in phrases like 大城市 (big city), 城市发展 (urban development), and 城市生活 (city life). The opposite is 农村 (countryside).

例句

1. 上海是中国最大的城市之一。
2. 越来越多的年轻人选择在大城市工作。
3. 这座城市的交通很方便。

用法指南

语境: geography, everyday, travel

语气: neutral

正确说法

• 你最喜欢哪个城市？(Which city do you like the most?)
• 这个城市的夜景非常漂亮。(The night view of this city is very beautiful.)

错误说法

• 我住在一个小的城市 (It's more natural to say 我住在一个小城市 — omit 的 when 小 directly modifies 城市 in this common phrase)

起源与历史

Compound of 城 (walled city) and 市 (market), reflecting how Chinese cities developed around walled settlements with central marketplaces.

文化背景

世代: All ages

社会背景: Universal